A Sketch for My Ego

 

3/19/22 How does this crank handle work?

On Day 34 of my 100 Day Project, I began a new tactic: Instead of observing closely and then drawing entirely from memory several hours later, I am making a few guiding marks from observation – proportions and angles – then turning away to finish the drawing immediately from memory. This change was mostly to relieve (at least temporarily) my frustration of the difficulty of drawing entirely from memory (I’ll probably go back to that later in the project). But on a practical level, it also seems like a more useful skill to learn. As urban sketchers, we have all had the experience of being in the middle of drawing a person or car when it decides to leave. I can fake it just to finish the sketch, but I’d really prefer to improve my ability to freeze the image in my memory just long enough to finish.

The first day went OK (I’ll show you that one later), but the second day was terrible. I chose the same yellow pencil sharpener I drew entirely from memory on Day 20, which I thought would be easy this time since I had observed and drawn it previously. The first time, I botched the proportions, but I got most of the details right. This time, after quickly blocking in the proportions, I did not observe the sharpener for long. I turned away to finish the drawing and realized I had already forgotten important shapes and details. The result was well-proportioned but otherwise hilarious (how does that crank handle work?)!

3/19/22 The ego-soothing follow-up

In Nishant Jain’s SneakyArt podcast interview with David Morales, the latter talks about the importance of avoiding frustration (in continuing his daily drawing habit). He said that if one’s experience in learning to draw is nothing but frustration day after day, it’s likely that one will quit. So when he has had a frustrating drawing experience, the next day he would draw something very simply “just to feel awesome.”

Listening to the interview right after my humbling and frustrating sharpener sketch, I could relate! Although I still make many sketches that I’m not entirely happy with, I usually get over them quickly and move on. The level of frustration, however, of knowing I could draw the sharpener “better” if I could just look at it was new to me! I immediately drew the sharpener again – this time completely from observation. My ego demanded it!

If you’re looking for inspiration or motivation to start or maintain a daily drawing habit, the interview with Morales is excellent. Many things he and Jain talked about resonated deeply with me. It’s worth a listen.